One of the world's top sprinters at the beginning of the 20th century, Archie Hahn was the first runner to win the Olympic 100m-200m sprint double. He took these titles, as well as the later-discontinued 60m dash, at the 1904 Olympic Games in St. Louis. In the 200 meters, Hahn got an edge when all three of his competitors were penalized two yards for committing a false start. Taking advantage of their errors, Hahn won by a commanding three yards. He also won the gold medal in the 100 meters at the 1906 Athens Olympics.
Known as the "Milwaukee Meteor," Hahn tied the world record of 9.8 seconds in the 100-yard dash in 1901 and set a world record of 21.6 seconds for the 200m straightaway in 1904. He won the U.S. 100-yard and 220-yard titles in 1903 and took another National AAU 220 title in 1905. Hahn attended the University of Michigan from 1903 to 1905 and received a law degree from the same university. However, he never practiced law. Instead, he coached at Princeton University and the University of Virginia and wrote a book, How to Sprint, which is considered a track classic.